Moldova Legal Socilization Program

Country: Moldova

Category: Educational Development Programs

About

The Legal Socialization in Moldovan Schools Program (MLSP) aims to strengthen the rule of law, support Moldovan communities in preventing juvenile delinquency, and develop a positive relationship between juveniles and law enforcement authorities. It will do this through an integrated approach that educates youth on the law, raises awareness on community problems such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking, and develops cooperative partnerships among youth, educators, law enforcement authorities, and the larger community.

MLSP will educate youth at a critical age about the rule of law and legal issues using youth-oriented approaches that result in a greater respect for the rule of law. This contributes to a lower incidence of crime by participating youth and creates a more pervasive culture of understanding about and upholding of the rule of law.

The program builds and develops positive relationships between juveniles and law enforcement authorities. Establishing positive interactions between youth and police in the classroom and through supplemental activities such as afterschool clubs and service-oriented projects improve trust and public confidence in the police. The program reinforces partnerships among ministries and institutions working with youth on rule of law issues and develops new relationships between these bodies, youth and their families.

Program News

The Moldova Legal Socialization Program (MLSP) was officially launched on February 27, 2020 and aims to strengthen the rule of law, to support Moldovan communities in preventing juvenile delinquency, and develop a positive relationship between juveniles and law enforcement authorities. The event was attended by approximately 50 local school principals, teachers, and police officers from the 4 pilot regions selected for the first stage of implementation within the program (Chisinau, Straseni, Ungheni and Soroca).

During the event, representatives from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the General Police Inspectorate presented the policies, objectives and experiences in the field of legal socialization and prevention of juvenile delinquency along with their vision related to the implementation of the program.

The participants from the pilot communities were also informed about the goal, objectives, activities and expected results within the program, their role in working with young people on legal socialization activities and effective international implementation practices and lessons learned.

During the period of 2-7 of February 2020 the MLSP staff together with six members of the Program Advisory Committee/Curriculum Development Team representing the Police General Inspectorate and Ministry of Education, Culture and Research have visited Georgia for studying the best practices and experiences of implementation of legal socialization and community policing programs.

PH International Moldova signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Police Inspectorate of the Republic of Moldova (December 19, 2019) and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research (January 3, 2020) regarding implementation of the Legal Socialization Program in Moldovan schools (MLSP).